COP17 puts Armenia’s environmental record in the spotlight
As Yerevan hosts the global biodiversity summit, concerns over mining and environmental protection deserve scrutiny.
Last weekend, the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) opened in Yerevan with a lavish ceremony. It is the first time the summit has been hosted by a former Soviet republic, an occasion the Armenian government has celebrated as an opportunity to establish the country as a leader in environmental protection. But Armenia’s own ecological record raises serious questions about its suitability for this role.
When Yerevan was awarded the right to host COP17 in 2024, the Armenian authorities celebrated the decision as recognition of the country’s environmental ambitions. Yet Armenia has struggled for decades to develop effective conservation policies, and its record remains poor in several important areas. In Yale University’s 2026 Environmental Performance Index, Armenia ranks 75th out of 177 countries, compared with first place for Estonia, another former Soviet republic.
Its performance is particularly poor on waste management, where it ranks 164th, and wastewater treatment, where it ranks 165th. These figures point to serious shortcomings in basic environmental protection.
That conflict between economic interests and environmental protection was on display just days before COP17, when Armenia inaugurated the controversial Amulsar gold mine. Environmental organisations, including the Global Forest Coalition and various Armenian civil society groups, have condemned the move, arguing that it disregards longstanding environmental concerns and recommendations under the Bern Convention.